Category Archives: Fine Print

London-based designer Anouska Hempel (also known as Lady Weinberg) has had a very large career. Hempel, who I’m guessing has a flamboyant personality, was born Anne Geisler. She started out as a New Zealand actress before becoming a hotelier, interior designer, and London society fixture.

She has established four hotels and designed numerous restaurants and retail spaces, including six Van Cleef & Arpels stores and the Louis Vuitton flagship in Paris. She’s also designed two yachts, English gardens, and haute couture for Princess Diana.

The book, written by Marcus Binney, is beautiful, with over 400 photographs of Anouska Hempel’s interiors, architecture, and gardens.

A pair of free-standing lattice screens divides the kitchen from the dining table at Anouska Hempel’s London hotel La Suite West. The interior has a minimalist Japanese feel.

Photo courtesy of The Hempel

The Lion’s Cage suite at The Hempel Hotel. Each of the 40 rooms and 10 apartments had a minimalistic Zen design, done all in pale woods and whites. The hotel was a favorite of Victoria Beckham and Michael Jackson. It was sold a couple of years ago and is now closed.

Photo courtesy of The Hempel

A kimono on a wall at The Hempel.

The attic bedroom at Anouska Hempel’s country house, Cole Park, an historic manor with a moat west of London.

Architect and collector Lisa S. Roberts new book DesignPOP (Rizzoli 2014) surveys the best furniture and accessories (so far) of the 21st century. In between the bold photographs of these iconic contemporary pieces, Roberts discusses new materials and processes, as well as how sustainability and social responsibility, influence designers’ paths. She points out that even the definition of designer is changing as disciplines merge. For example, products from companies like Apple and Dyson often exemplify considered cutting edge design.

As I flipped through the colorful pages of DesignPOP, I was struck by how many of the items I’ve come across in my life, and even own. While I covet high end design, I don’t have the funds for splurging on it. However, Roberts mixes the practically unattainable with practical everyday products

For example, she puts forth the Soft Urn designed by Hella Jongerius, which appears to be a traditional pottery vase, but is instead made of silicone. I discovered silicone urns a number of years ago (I think mine are by Menu though), and love them because if the kids knock them over, they won’t break.

I’ve bet you seen the Bobble, even if you don’t realize it. Bobble is an ergonomically-shaped, thin plastic water bottle with built in filter, designed by Karim Rashid. I have one for each of my kids to keep by their bedsides; I purchased them at Target. I’ve never changed the filters… should probably get on that.

I sent Roberts a few questions to answer about her findings and favorites from DesignPop, answered below, complete with products featured in the book.

Were most of these products familiar to you before starting the research? Any new finds?I knew many since I follow the industry very closely. But during my research I discovered the Flip Flop Vase by Diederick Schneemann, the Chubby Chair by Dirk Vander Kooij, the Lytro Light Field Camera by New Deal Design, and the Nest Thermostat by Tony Fadell.

Chubby Chair by Dirk Vander Kooij
Made from 3D printed recycled refrigerator plastic, with their waste made into clothes hangers.

Nest Thermostat by Tony Fadell
$249 at AmazonWe purchased one of these, drawn in by both the design and “smart” functionality. Unfortunately we couldn’t get it to work with our HVAC system, but not for lack of trying. This 2.0 version may be easier to implement. They have a great help line.

Your picks all come out of the 21st century. What are some products designed before 2000 that may have been included if you expanded the time frame?There were a lot of game-changing designs before 2000. There’s the Vermelha Chair by Humberto and Fernando Campana, the Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry, and the Bookworm by Ron Arad.

Vermelha Chair by Humberto and Fernando Campana$12,821 at Switch ModernThe upholstery is completely made of intertwined cotton ropes.

Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry
$1,140 at AllModernDesigned back in 1972 and made from cardboard.

Bookworm by Ron Arad
$408 at LumensI’ve always been intrigued this piece in the MoMA catalog. It’s flexible and can be made into any shape.

Which brand new products would make the list if you did a follow up?The Carbon Balloon Chair by Marcel Wanders. It’s made of carbon fiber and resin, weighs about one and a half pounds, and can hold up to 198 pounds. Also the Polygon Chair by Joris Laarman, which combines advanced technology with hand assembly. It’s comprised of mathematically designed CNC milled pieces that are assembled like a puzzle, by hand.

Do you own any of the products featured in the book?I own many of the products in the book. Some are on display in my personal gallery and some I live with. I love the Collapsible Strainer by Boje Estermann because it takes up so little space in my drawer. The Peacock Chair by Dror Benshetrit sits in my foyer and is as attractive as it is comfortable. The Fred Humidifier by Matti Walker comes out whenever someone in the family has a cold. I also have two Midsummer Lights by Tord Boontje that hang over the conference table in my home office.

Collapsible Strainer by Boje Estermann
$60 at LumensLast year I bought a collapsible silicone salad spinner at T.J.Maxx for our little condo in Florida. It is one of the best gadgets you can buy, because really, who has room for a salad spinner. Ditto for a full-size colander.

Peacock Chair by Dror BenshetritTwo-and-a-half years ago I interviewed Dror Benshetrit at his studio in NYC for Design Milk. He had one of these chairs there and I was instantly smitten. It’s felt and very visually satisfying. The full interview is here, and you can see some extra tidbits and photographs here.

Midsummer Light by Tord Boontje
$98 at A+RI bought two Midsummer Light shades, one in citron and one in violet, many years ago, thinking I might use them in the guest rooms on the Cape. I didn’t, but I still have them. I know one day I’ll find the right spot. They’re magical.

Which are your favorites?
The iPhone because I can’t live without it and the Bank in the Form of A Pig by Harry Allen because it always makes me smile. I love my Rainbow Chair by Patrick Norguet because it captures light in the most amazing way, casting a rainbow shadow on the floor. Also, of all the designs I own, it has increased the most in value since I purchased it!

Bank in the Form of A Pig by Harry Allen
$200 at NordstromThis design, which is now done in shiny turquoise, pink, gold and other colors, was modeled on an actual suckling pig that had died of natural causes, cast it in resin. $10 of every pig bank sale goes to the Humane Society.

Erin Gates sent me an advance copy of her new, very first design book, Elements of Style: Designing A Home & A Life. I’ve been browsing through it for the last couple of weeks, thoroughly enjoying the photos of the rooms she decorated for herself and clients, studying her style charts, and catching up on her life. The tone is easy, breezy, much like her blog, with plenty of personal tidbits interwoven through her design adventures and accomplishments.

Erin’s come a long way since I first met her, on assignment for Boston Globe Magazine in early 2009 after she sent me scouting shots of the place she and Andrew rented in J.P. It landed her on the cover, and it’s still one of my favorite stories, not just because Erin and her house looked amazing (thanks Eric Roth for the excellent photos), but because Erin was full of enthusiasm and money saving tips.

Her blog and business have exploded and her design skills honed, while her excellent attitude and work ethic prevail. Congratulations Erin Gates!

Erin’s used this buffet over and again. She bought it for $75 at an estate sale and painted the inside turquoise (you can see that iteration in Erin’s place in Jamaica Plain, which I wrote about for Boston Globe Magazine, March 2009.) She went orange for the South End. Now it’s lined with malachite wallpaper.

This is my favorite room. I’ve long been a sucker for a library dining room with Saarinen table and a fireplace. The sheepskin rugs nesle perfectly into those acrylic chairs from IKEA. The client stuffed the fireplace with little logs, which add some rustic texture; plus the circles are an excellent contrast to the stripes on the rug.

Oh, this Madeline Weinrib rug again, this time in brown. It seems to work everywhere! (Tip: IKEA makes a black & white version.) I generally don’t like tan stone (only contractors do!) but Erin makes it work in this space where they’re stuck with it.

The 298 page paperback, presented in a nice, thick square format, presents 25 new(ish) spaces for city living, photos, descriptions, and floor plans. There are projects by established architects including John Pawson and Annabelle Selldorf, as well as emerging architects, including Barbara Bestor and Messana O’Rorke. Here is a sampling of 13 lofts, townhouses, and apartments that caught my eye (sorry the scans are slightly funky).

Pastry chef and Flour Bakery owner Joanne Chang just debuted her second cookbook, Flour, Too (a followup to Flour: A Baker’s Collection of Spectacular Recipes). This time around Chang includes recipes for the cafe’s most popular sweets and savories. I went to the book launch party at Flour’s newest outpost (in my neighborhood!) and sampled all the goodies. Here are my Instagram photos. Now I need to try out the recipes in my own kitchen. I’m hosting a 6th grade graduation brunch for 25 this Sunday, so it’s perfect timing. The problem will be which to choose.